One of the first challenges you face when moving to a new country is where to find all the products you enjoy and are accustomed to having. It’s not only the imported goods that you might have trouble finding, but also good quality local goods that you will need to use on a daily basis. Let’s take it step by step to find the hidden gems in Cairo.
Supermarkets and Grocery Stores As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, finding imported goods can be difficult in Egypt; but once you know your way around, it becomes easy as pie.
One of my favorite places in Cairo has to be Gourmet Egypt. Gourmet is exactly what it claims to be in its name, it’s a Gourmet style grocery store. Not only do they have many branches all over Cairo where you can enjoy their spacious and airy designs while looking through their wide array of products; you can also visit their online store at www.gourmetegypt.com to see their products and shop online. Deliveries are usually made on the day of the order unless it is placed later in the evening.
In addition to a variety of imported goods including pastas, sauces and condiments, Frito-Lays products, and a marvelous deli and bakery, Gourmet Egypt also offers excellent quality imported frozen and chilled meat, poultry, seafood, and magnificent quail. They recently introduced ready made meals and frozen appetizers under their own brand. These include soups, some of which are gluten-free and vegan, salads, spring rolls, pastries, and so many more. Try their “Thomeya”, a middle eastern garlic sauce that makes a delicious dip with chicken and so much more.
Gourmet is the one place where I always find buffalo mozzerella at LE 45 to LE 50 for a single ball and ricotta cheese at under LE 30 for a 300gm box. Learn more about their products, prices, and locations on their website.
Now that we have alredy mentioned websites and online grocery shopping, dakakyn.com is one that I must mention. Dakakyn is an online supermarket with no physical branches. They offer a wide range of imported products and deliver to most areas in Cairo. They have an excellent range of fresh and organic produce in addition to many vegan and gluten-free products. They are very distinct in their method of delivery. They are environmentally friendly and do not use any bags, plastic or paper. They deliver your frozen goods in a cooler bag and everything else comes in big wicker baskets. You don’t get to keep the basket, but the delivery man will wait until you empty out everything and return the basket and cooler bag.
For those who are willing to leave the house and go to Heliopolis (if you live farther away), Royal House has become a safe haven for me. Royal House features aisle after aisle of imported products and distinct local ones; and when things are about a month away from expiring, they put them on insane offers. The store is very big; split into two sections with two separate entrances once you’re inside. The first section is a big grocery store, and the second sells home appliances, utensils, and cooking tools. If you’re going for the grocery section, you will find many imported sauces and condiments in addition to imported cereal, including Kellogg’s and General Mills. The big boxes sell for about LE 160.
Royal House is located near the Merryland gardens in Heliopolis and can easily be located on Google Maps. I hear they are opening a new branch somewhere in New Cairo.
Another favorite of mine, also located in Heliopolis near the Girls College in Ard El Golf, is Grumart. Grumart is the newest of all my picks. My favorite thing at Grumart is their fresh produce section and their deli. This is the one place where I can find spring onions, chives, oak leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and so much more. Their deli section makes so many interesting salads that are sold by weight and their bakery is absolutely artisanal.
You will also find many imported products here in addition to Grumart’s own brand, Grun, which offers deliciously fresh pomegranate juice, a variety of desserts, and fresh dairy products. Be sure to check the production date and make sure that it hasn’t been sitting around for longer than a day.
My favorite of all the grocery stores I visit has to be Fresh Food Market. Open in New Cairo and 6th of October City, you are never more than an hour away from one of their branches whether you live on the East or West side of Cairo, and it is definitely worth the drive. I personally go to the New Cairo branch, which is located on the ground floor of the Point 90 mall near the new AUC campus. Fresh Food Market is a place that will make you happy, but it does not come at a low cost.
In addition to their wide range of imported goods and fresh produce that you will not find elsewhere, Fresh Food Market has a large food station where you can sit and enjoy homestyle meals or fresh sushi that is made as you order. If you plan on shopping there, take a credit card or keep a few thousand Egyptian Pounds on you. I found that the least damage to your wallet a visit there can make is about LE 1200 - LE 2000 so you don’t leave feeling sad that you left something you love behind. You are going to be very happy with the items you buy, but a gentle warning may be due.
In addition to these special grocery stores, you will find many branches of both Seoudi and Metro supermarkets around Egypt. They both have many imported products, good quality deli cheese and meat, and the most commonly used local products. Even though Metro has an excellent selection of imported cheese, Seoudi has more imported snacks and products. Both Metro and Seoudi have long opening hours and deliver around Cairo.
One of the issues that many people have after moving to Egypt is finding good pork products. Being in an Islamic country, you won’t find pork products in all your mainstream supermarkets and most restaurants replace pork ingredients with their beef counterparts. That certainly does not mean that they don’t exist! There are a few decent pig farms in Egypt and their products are sold in many places that mainly cater to the constantly growing expat and Christian communities in the country. Among the most popular in Heliopolis is John’s Pork near St. Rita’s Hospital in Salah El Din Square. It’s a tiny shop where you can find processed pork meat like ham, salami, bacon (more like the kind sold in the UK rather than the one commonly found in the US), balogna, in addition to ground pork, pork ribs, and pork meat in general. It’s always better to go there with someone who speaks Arabic if your Arabic is not fluent since the staff there don’t speak much English.
Considered one of the best pork suppliers and shops in Cairo, Ramses offers an even wider range of pork products, all grown and produced in the store’s own farm. Quite a drive away from those living in Heliopolis and Nasr City, and a little more difficult to reach, Ramses is located on Ahmed Badawy Street in Shubra. You will probably need some help getting there if you’re not living around the area.
The easiest way to find decent quality pork in Cairo would have to be Oscar Supermarket. Another gem in Heliopolis, and now they opened their Grand Store in New Cairo.
Oscar supermarket is the only large supermarket that sells a wide range of imported products, excellent imported cheese and deli products, some kitchen appliances and utensils, tableware, wine, beer, and pork products. In addition, they have an excellent bakery and butchery, and their prices are in the average range.
In conclusion, if you’re willing to move around as much as you would if you were hitting several markets to get the best products back home (and make a few minor adjustments); maintaining a home, kitchen, and entertainment environment that is a little home away from home is not as far fetched as you may think.